. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.2
17 July 2006 
 (06-3451) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session Original:   English 
 
 
 
AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY 
MEASURES:  DESIGNATION OF A REGIONAL BODY 
 
Communication from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji,  
Grenada, Jamaica, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands,  
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines  
 
Revision  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 14 July 2006, is being circulated at the request of the above delegations.  
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This revised paper sets out some proposals to address certain specific concerns of the 
co-sponsors as they relate to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  The multilateral trading system needs to identify and 
implement responses to the issues identifie d in this submission to overcome the 
inherent economic disadvantages faced by these small, vulnerable economies. 
The revised submission takes into account the deliberations on the 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.1 which took place in the Committee on Trade and Development in Dedicated Session and in the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. 
1. Introduction  
1. As small, vulnerable economies (SVEs), the co-spon sors of this proposal suffer from a severe 
lack of adequate financial, technical and administ rative capacities to fulfil their obligations under the 
Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  
2. Under the mandate of the SPS Agreement, the SV Es are required to prepare, adopt and apply 
sanitary and phytosanitary measures necessary to ensure the quality of  exports and to protect human 
and animal health.  These measures are essential in a ssisting SVEs to gain access to export markets.  
Given the small size of the economies of the SV Es, the unit costs of implementation of the SPS 
Agreement are higher in these countries than in most other WTO Member countries.  
2. Relevant WTO provisions 
3. Article 9;  Annex B of the Agreement on th e Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures. WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.2 
Page 2  
 
  3. Proposals 
4. Recognising the special difficulties encountered by the co-sponsors of this proposal in 
complying with obligations under the SPS Agreemen t, the resulting difficulties in accessing markets 
and the complexity of the formulation and appli cation of SPS measures for their domestic markets, 
the General Council is to recommend that there sh all be explicit recognition that WTO Members may 
designate a regional body to provide technical support
1 as is required to carry out the functions 
necessary to assist them in implementing th e provisions of the SPS Agreement.   
5. Members and the WTO, within its competen ce, when providing technical and financial 
assistance to support small, vulnerable economies in fulfilling their rights and obligations under this 
Agreement, shall consider the advantages of pr oviding that assistance to the regional body, where 
such exists. 
4. Issues for Consideration 
6. The co-sponsors of this proposal are of the vi ew that this explicit recognition of regional 
bodies would lead to greater legal certainty.  In add ition, it would lead to an improvement in levels of 
transparency and predictability thereby enhancin g the ability of SVEs to fulfil their legal and 
notification obligations to the WTO under the SPS Agreement.  
7. It should be further noted that the proposal do es not seek to change the legal architecture of 
the SPS Agreement nor would it impact on the ba lance of rights and obligations of any WTO 
Member.  In addition, the individual Members be nefiting from this proposal will continue to be 
legally responsible and accountable for their individual obligations which include notifications. 
5. Final remark 
8. This proposal is without prejudice to individua l country positions and to the rights of the 
co-sponsors to submit additional proposals in future Dedicated Sessions or, otherwise, in other WTO 
bodies on any issues contained in this paper a nd/or on any other issues not included here. 
 
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1 Such technical support could include the developm ent of SPS measures;  assi stance in the preparation 
of SPS notifications;  assistance with  the response to any queries received on the notifications;  assistance in 
establishing and maintaining risk assessment systems and control, inspection and approval procedures and any 
analysis or research that would enhance the understanding of the SPS obligations.